About the blogger

Bob Collins was with Minnesota Public Radio from 1992-2019. He was senior editor of news in the ’90s, ran MPR’s political unit, created the MPR News regional website, invented the popular Select A Candidate, started several blogs, and every day lamented that his Minnesota Fantasy Legislature project never caught on.

Related Blog Posts

“Patrons said another company location — Minnetonka — does not carry the same notice that the Uptown location does.”

This is telling.

Perhaps all those clad in the “undesirable” attire should frequent the Minnetonka location?

Joe

At least a couple of those make sense, sleeveless undershirts are pretty much a given unless it’s a gay bar or something, although the gays usually chruch it up with a better tank not designed to be an undershirt but rather more like summer beachwear. Baggy clothing is also terrible, I think every race can agree on that. The rest probably have racist undertones though.

DavidG

But how do you define “baggy”? Are relaxed fit jeans ok? Or do only Skinny jeans meet muster?

Joe

How do you define anything in our post-post-modern world, really?

jon

Maybe they weren’t trying to discriminate against blacks… maybe they were trying to keep white rappers out of their establishment.

Joe

Nonsense! Why are you stereotyping rappers? It would be much easier to put up the pictures of all four of them for the bouncers to recognize on entry.

jon

That’d only take care of the 4 that managed to be popular enough that you know about them… the posers would still be making it through the screening process.

I suppose you could have bouncers asking people to “bust a rhyme” before entering, but the turn over rate for bouncers you ask to do that is going to be extremely high.

Dave S.

By saying, “You might as well say, ‘No black folks allowed,’” isn’t that applying a stereotype that all black folks wear that type of attire?

I have no idea how classy an establishment Bar Louie is, but I can see proscribing most of those articles of clothing in order to maintain a certain level of decorum.

Joe

White folks like L.L. Bean and Eddie Bauer, what’s your point? We should never talk about race and racism? Notice how the list doesn’t include popped collars to keep out white “undesirables.”

Joey

The uptown location is a crap and so are its usual patrons, (e.g., all of the douche-y and naive young “professionals” and bros who live in the surrounding condos. If they want to cater to those coddled types with thin skin, that’s unfortunate. Uptown has quickly become an insular, high-end wasteland with minimal culture. I’d rather spend my money at higher quality and more welcoming establishments along Lyndale and Nicollet… while they still exist.

Ralphy

Does this dress code apply to males and females? Or are there different dress codes for each gender?